The Last Few Years: The Family of a Warrior
by Estel-Undomiel25
Summary: The Berensons' POV of what the last few years of their lives have been like, and of who Jake is and what he's been fighting for.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Animorphs. This story is really just for fun, and I thank K.A. Applegate for her amazing series and awesome ideas.**

**Chapter 1**

**Jean's POV: Observations**

Jean Berenson knew her sons were special. After all, they were her boys! Tom was always so involved in everything, and pitched in at home and at the Sharing. She was proud of Jake, too, even if he spent almost too much time with his friends.

Lately, though, something hadn't seemed quite right.

_Lately… ha. Try the last few years,_ Jean thought to herself. At first it seemed like nothing was different. The family still talked and laughed at dinner, Tom still teased his younger brother, and the family got along like families should.

But slowly, Jean began to see differences. Tom was always doing things with the Sharing. He quit the basketball team with no explanation, and Jean knew how much he loved to play. He and Jake did almost nothing together, and neither seemed to mind.

_What's happening with Tom?_

And then there was Jake. Jake, who used to always have time for the family, out with friends day and night. Jake, who acted like everything was fine, but couldn't keep a deep sadness and tiredness from entering his eyes; it interfered with his usually perfect facade. He seemed as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders, and Jean couldn't help but worry that he was going through something that she wouldn't discover until it was too late.

She thought back to a conversation from earlier in the day.

"_Jake, we're going to go shopping for a lawn mower today, your father, Tom, and me. Would you like to come, too? It'd be a good opportunity to spend time together as a family," finished Jean, hoping against hope her youngest would say yes._

_She knew before he answered it would be a no, though, just by glancing at the way his whole face hardened in a way it never had mere months ago._

"_Sorry, mom. I told Cassie I'd help her out at the barn today, and then we're going to meet up with everyone for a movie," said Jake, not looking her in the eye._

_Spending time with his friends again, Jean thought, before saying good bye as Jake walked out the door._

_It was the last time Jean would ever look at her son as a child._

**Steve's POV: Wondering**

Steve Berenson was a responsible man, and he prided himself on knowing who he was, and who the members of his family were as people. He had a loving wife and two amazing sons, and he was as proud as he could be of both of them for the independence they had showed in the last few years. Then again, maybe they were becoming too independent.

He wanted to see Tom play basketball, help him practice in the driveway, but Tom had quit the team. He wanted to play catch with his younger son, or take him out to see a movie or spend a day together, but Jake was always with his friends.

_When did I lose my sons? _Steve wondered sadly, and realized with a start that he had been gradually growing apart from his sons for years now. He had discussed it with Jean, and knew his wife shared his worries. Actually, they were both more worried about Jake than Tom. After all, Tom could take care of himself; Jake was still a boy.

_It's my job to take care of him, _thought Steve, _but how can I help Jake if he doesn't open up?_

More than anything, Steve just wanted his Jake back. Sure, Jake did a good job of acting like he was alright, but there was something about the look he often had in his eyes of anger or hurt, and the way he didn't open up to his family at all anymore, that really scared Steve. His grades were slipping, he often looked like he'd gotten no sleep at all, and he acted like he was years older than his true age, with a long, hard past bogging him down.

That's why Steve had been so looking forward to this trip to get a new lawn mower. He was eager to have the whole family together, for the kids to smile and laugh and be with Jean and himself.

He couldn't hide his disappointment when Jean told him that Jake couldn't make it, and as he looked out the window at his son walking down the street, he had the strange feeling that he might never see his Jake, the happy, carefree kid, again.

He had no idea how right he was.

**Wishing: Tom's POV**

Tom Berenson had been wishing for years now. He wished that he had never joined the Sharing because he had a crush on some girl. He wished that he wasn't trapped inside his own head, day after day, with nothing to do. He wished he didn't feel like dying rather than being a Yeerk slave, and he wished his family would notice that he hadn't talked to them in years.

Tom wished he didn't have an arrogant Yeerk in his head who knew his every thought and feeling. Most of all, he wished he could go back to being Tom, Jean and Steve's oldest son, and Jake's older brother.

_Jake, I want to be there for you, I want to ask what's been going on with you, but I can't! Jake, please, hear me! See that this isn't me, that your older brother would never leave you so alone that you sometimes cry at night, when you think no one hears you._

_**Aww, how touching. You still think you will get the chance to be a part of your family again, **_sneered the Yeerk in Tom's head. _**You fool! Haven't you figured out yet that you will never speak to your family again? We, the mighty Yeerks, are almost done taking your world. Do not worry, though. Your family will be well taken care of. After all, they are about to become hosts and join the cause!**_

_No, not my family, _Tom pleaded once again, as he had for years. He couldn't believe that the Yeerks were finally going to take his family and imprison them, just as he had been for so long. He wanted them to know why he wasn't himself, but he would never wish that on them. That's why he had been so horrified when the Yeerk boasted of his true reasons for suggesting a family outing to buy a new lawnmower.

_**They will become hosts, and you can do nothing to stop us, **_the Yeerk gloated. But Tom heard the uncertainty in the Yeerk's thoughts, and knew he wondered why the Berenson's needed to be infested immediately, just as much as Tom worried.

When he and the Yeerk found out that Jake had passed on the trip, their reactions were understandably different. Tom was more than happy to find out that his brother would be free for at least one more day, while the Yeerk at first worried about what would happen when he didn't bring the whole family, but then dismissed this thought by deciding they could take him later.

_**After all, this world is ours. What is one more day for one insignificant human?**_

As the Yeerk carried on with his gloating, Tom thought back to the past few years. Aside from one mysterious phone call with a message for him to never give up, he had had precious few hopeful and happy moments. Of course, the Andalite bandits were always a source of inspiration, and they had been since Tom had first seen them. The way they fought on, continuing their daring attacks on the Yeerks when their numbers were obviously so few and they were so far from home brought Tom strength. He admired them, and could only hope for the chance to meet them one day, to thank them for all they had done for him. For some reason, Tom had always felt drawn to the tiger, who was clearly the leader.

_If only I had that same strength, _he had thought many times, and it often kept him going when he felt he would never be free.

As he headed off with his parents to "get a lawnmower", dreading their infestation, Tom thought once more of his little brother, and how alone he would be very soon.

_Be safe, Jake._

**Author's note: So, I assumed here that Tom's Yeerk would be in so much trouble for not knowing there had been an Andalite bandit living with him that he would be kept in the dark about their identities. I hope you guys like this story so far! I always have story ideas in my head, so I figured I'd try and write one down for once. Please review if you get the chance, but don't be too harsh; this is my first fanfic. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Animorphs. This story is really just for fun, and I thank K.A. Applegate for her amazing series and awesome ideas.**

**Chapter 2**

**Jean's POV: Revelations**

When the Berenson's innocent hunt for a lawnmower had turned into a confusing and terrifying day, Jean was left imprisoned in her own mind, speeding toward her own house with her husband and son close, but impossibly far away.

She had screamed just as loudly, if not louder than her husband as her son, her Tom, laughed evilly nearby.

"What's going on, Tom? Why are you doing this? Stop these people! Tom! Tom!"

Jean was vaguely aware of her husband next to her, shouting and struggling, but it was no use. They were overpowered, and Tom, for whatever reason, wouldn't help them.

She continued to scream as she felt something slide through her ear, and kept right on screaming until she could no longer control her body.

_**Oh, be quiet human. You are under my power now. Just, think, me, in the host body of an Andalite bandit's mother**_

_What are you talking about, you… you… creature? Why can't I move, or talk? What's an Andalite? _

_**You really do not know? You must be a terrible mother to know so little about your sons. **_Jean gasped in her thoughts. _**Yes, yes, I can read all your thoughts and memories. I am a Yeerk, a member of the great race that is about to completely overtake Earth, and soon, the entire galaxy! And even the Andalites, our bitter enemies, cannot stop us. But I suppose you want to know more about your sons, am I right?**_

_I don't need anything from you, you arrogant body snatcher! And stay away from my sons! _Jean exclaimed angrily, but inside, she felt a deep fear. What was happening?

_**I know you are afraid, **_the Yeerk thought evilly. _**I just told you, I know everything about you. I will tell you why Tom's been so different lately. He has had a Yeerk in his head for years. Years! You never noticed, though. You never knew that your son was screaming and crying out, and no one could hear him. Which is what you will soon be doing, too.**_

_No, not Tom! How could I not have seen it? Stay out of my head!_

As Jean tried to regain control of her emotions, the Yeerk continued.

_**The Yeerk inside your son's head is in trouble now, however. Of course he is, for he has had an Andalite bandit living with him for years, and he had no idea. Ooh, the Visser will be after him for sure, **_finished the Yeerk gleefully.

Jean was confused, but it was no use hiding it, and the Yeerk continued.

_**Yes, your son Jake is an Andalite bandit, a member of the small party of raiders who have been a thorn in the Yeerk Empire's side for so long. He has been in countless battles and on many missions with his friends, all of them merely Earth teenagers! Except for the one Andalite, I suppose. Jake has been morphing into animals using Andalite morphing technology, attempting to stop us, and then returning home and pretending everything was fine for years! And you never noticed?**_

Jean wanted to cry, but couldn't. She wanted to kill the creature controlling her, and pretend none of this had ever happened, and that she and Steve and Jake and Tom were home, together, with Yeerks having never existed.

_What are you talking about Yeerk? _Jean demanded, but she was beginning to understand.

_** Yes, Jake has become a warrior. Little Jake, who has been alone for so long. Stuck in a house with a brother he knew would kill him if he found out the truth, and unable to confide in anyone or trust even his parents. You mistook your son's battle induced weariness for teenage angst, and had no idea of the pain and suffering he was going through daily or of the scars you never saw. You never knew…**_

But Jean tuned the Yeerk out. She thought of all the times she and Steve had yelled at Jake, and of all the times he must have had to lie to them. Jean knew now that, as much as she wanted to ignore the Yeerk, it was telling the truth. And she cried for Tom, too. She cried for her baby who had been imprisoned with no one to help him, and for never noticing that he needed her. With despair in her heart, Jean watched the Yeerk in her husband make him turn onto their street, and saw Tom's hand, and her own, raise strange weapons, preparing to fire.

**Steve's POV**

Steve had experienced the same things as his wife, but with even more indignation and anger.

_Let my family and me go, right now, you parasite! Give us our bodies back, and get off our planet! _He couldn't stand the thought that he couldn't protect his family, and was especially unprepared when the Yeerk told him about Tom and Jake and the lives they had been leading without their parents ever knowing.

_**You should just quit your screaming now human, because you will never be free again. Here. To occupy your time, watch this memory I have from being inside my last human host when the Andalite bandits attacked, and we forced them to retreat. Watch and wonder which is your son, the warrior. Soon, he and his friends will be ours!**_

And so Steve watched horrified, as the animals battling the Yeerks were injured and had to stop their attack. He couldn't believe that Jake could have been fighting a war, and that he had never noticed. But he also knew how proud he was of Jake. He had been fighting a threat against the entire human race, and had still gone to school and done chores. His son was a hero.

Steve's hands directed the car onto the street where the Berenson's lived, and he watched his family raise their weapons.

**Tom's POV**

Even though he was sickened by the thought that he had handed his own parents over to the Yeerks, Tom was ecstatic. As soon as he found out why his family had needed to be taken, he laughed at the Yeerk in his head, now in deep trouble for not knowing about the Andalite bandit that had been right under his nose. It was finally Tom's turn to be triumphant.

_Take that, Yeerk. You think you're all powerful and all knowing, well then, why didn't you know my brother was part of the _Andalite _bandits?_

_Way to go, Jake,_ Tom thought to himself, as opposed to speaking to the Yeerk, though he knew it could still hear him.

As the Yeerks forced Tom and his parents into the car and headed toward his house, the Yeerk broke his angry silence.

_**Do not worry about my mistakes, human. We are about to eliminate your brother, anyway. Earth will be ours!**_

_Oh, Jake, _Tom lamented. _I wish I could've comforted you. If only I could have helped you, made sure you weren't alone._

And as the Yeerks raised the Dracon beams in his mother's and his hands, Tom had never been more proud.

_C'mon, Jake. Beat these slugs._

**Author's note: I hope everything in that chapter was clear enough. Please review!**

**And thanks to ASongInMyHead for the first review/ feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Animorphs. This story is really just for fun, and I thank K.A. Applegate for her amazing series and awesome ideas.**

**Chapter 3**

**Everyone's POV: Hope**

Jean, Steve, and Tom, were scared for Jake. They were scared that they would kill him, and that they would never get the chance to hug him and thank him for all he had suffered for them.

They stared with wonder as their son, who stood stoically on the lawn they were shredding with Dracon beams, morphed into a Peregrine falcon. They knew that he was trying to show them that he was telling them the truth, and that he wanted to give them hope.

Before he finished the morph, as the Yeerks used their mouths to scream with rage and hate, they all stared with wonder at their Jake. He had fierceness in his eyes, a determination that they had never seen there before. They realized that he had been fighting to save them for a long time, and that he had sacrificed himself to do so.

As Jake flew away, the Berensons made a vow to themselves.

_We won't give up Jake. Not now, not ever. Now go get these parasites, and save the Earth! _

**Weeks (and Months) Later-**

**Tom's POV: Freedom**

As Tom watched the events on the Blade Ship unfold, and as his cousin Rachel prepared to kill him, he wished again. He wished he could thank his brother for bearing such a burden, and he wished he could kill the Yeerk in his head himself. But now, what he wished most of all was that he could thank Jake for giving him freedom, even freedom in death.

_Goodbye, little brother. Thank you, and good luck with your life. You'll always be my hero._

**Jean's and Steve's POV: Living Again**

We're finally free. Our son Jake saved us. He and his friends saved the whole world. We grieve for Tom, of course, but we understand that he must be happy to not be trapped anymore, to be free.

We worry about Jake. Throughout this war, and especially at its ending, he's had to make decisions that no one should have to make, especially a child. He's had to be strong and lead the resistance against the Yeerks, and live with the loss of his family. He's a world hero, but he hates himself.

He hates that he had to use his friends to end this war, and he blames himself for Rachel's and Tom's deaths. He hates how many Yeerks died, and that he feels he is to blame.

What can we do to help him? He went through Hell, and now he's condemning himself to be there for the rest of his existence.

Jake's a hero, but he's also our son.

He taught us to never give up, to always have hope, and he saved the world.

Now we need to teach him to live again.

**The End.**

**Author's note: Yay, it's done! I hope you liked it. It felt good to write that down instead of just thinking about it all the time. Feedback would be appreciated! Bye!**


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